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Tag Archives: The Great Outdoors

June 25th = Tube To Work Day on Boulder Creek

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Spice Jones in Atlanta or Boulder?, Makes me chuckle, Only In Boulder, The Good Life, Today In Boulder

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Tags

Good Chuckle, River Fun, That's so Boulder, The Great Outdoors, Things I love, Weird In Boulder

As you probably know, Boulder is pretty big on redefining “alternative”. Alternative energy, alternative transportation, alternative education, alternative healing, alternative eating, alternative exercise…alternative alternative. And as much as we love redefining it, we LOVE putting it out there for the world to see… usually with a tiny hint of “better than you”. And I can’t lie. I’m right there with my community when it comes to flaunting the privilege to be weird.

Tube To Work Day on Boulder Creek

Joel Haertling prepares for his commute to his job at the Boulder Public Library on Tube to Work Day on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 in Boulder, Colo. Photo: The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken

Now within Boulder’s drive to be alternative to the rest of the world comes another, very interesting, level of, shall we call it, “a little friendly competition of consciousness” where we strive to out-alternative each other…

Tube To Work Day

Jeff Kagan hurtles down the first rapid on Tube to Work Day on Tuesday June 25, 2013.
Photo by Paul Aiken

Meet, Tube To Work day. Boulder’s alternative to Boulder’s own Bike To Work day. Only in Boulder.

And I love it!

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Ten years ago this week…

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Spice Jones in Beautiful Things, Jones' Memories, Life With Chris, Motorcycles, My Shady Past, The Good Life, Travel

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Tags

Adventures, Crazy Stories, KLR 650, Motorcycles, My Amazing Husband, The Great Outdoors, Things I love, travel

Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our motorcycle trip to South America.

On Berthoud Pass in Colorado celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our motorcycle trip through North and South America.

On June 17, 2003, Chris and I locked up our homes in Atlanta and set off on an 8 month motorcycle adventure of a lifetime. This week, to commemorate the accomplishment (and to put a little fuel on our wanderlust), we put some grease under Breezy’s skirt and pulled out the bikes for an epic ride through our beloved Colorado Rockies. It was a beautiful day that brought back so many of the amazing memories Chris and I made together ten years ago.


Some of what we have done has already been forgotten but I clearly remember Tuesday June 17, 2003 because it was the morning we left. Walking out the door was very difficult but within minutes the distractions of being on the road took over and the trip had begun. Yes there are still tears and I miss my family dearly but looking back I can’t understand why it was so difficult to get it together. What sounded crazy a year ago now makes perfect sense.

Check in when you can and drop us a line to let us know what you think.

-Chris and Spice
Meet Breezy, a KLR 650 with the attitude of an eleven year old b*tch. Excuse the crazy hair, on this particular morning we had been on a ferry in pretty rough seas for over 5 hours. I was gearing up for a pretty aggressive departure from the boat (crashing waves on a small cement ramp while the boat kept washing away from the ramp... Breezy decided not to start when it was our turn to unload. Chris' bike is behind Breezy with the yellow bag.

Meet Breezy, a KLR 650 with the attitude of an eleven year old b*tch. Excuse the crazy hair, we spent the night on this ferry and it was pretty rough seas…we also had to sleep in our clothes. At this particular moment I was freaking out because we were having to unload via a narrow cement ramp that kept disappearing as the boat listed to and from in the crashing waves. Needless to say (to those who followed our trip), Breezy decided not to start when it was our turn to unload, sending my nerves to DEF CON 1. She looks huge in this photo but if you look closely you’ll see that Chris’ bike is behind Breezy.

Today (6/21/2013) I want to introduce you to Breezy. From here I was thinking I’ll repost all of our “website updates” – because blogs didn’t exist at the time – from the actual trip.  You’ll have to forgive the simplicity of it all, website technology was pretty new and cyber opportunities were pretty limited after we left the states.

Until next time here are a few photos from the trip – enjoy!

Spice Jones, KLR 650, Honduras

Aug, 2003. This is at the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. These little guys go to school in the afternoon so that they can sell their mothers’ baked goods in the morning. After the initial shock of seeing a woman on a motorcycle they finally gathered enough courage to start asking questions about the war with Iraq. They thought the fighting was taking place in North America and they were curious to know if we had seen any “war” while on the road.

Spice Jones riding in Patagonia on her KLR 650

December, 2003. This is in the northern part of Patagonia on the Chilean side of South America. Breathtaking!

This is in southern Argentina. The trees in this area were burned down in the late 40's to make room for thousands of Germans leaving Germany after the war. It was a wonderful little crossroads so we decided to stop for lunch.

Dec 2003, southern Argentina. The trees in this area were burned down in the late 40’s to make room for thousands of Germans leaving Germany after the war. It was a precious little crossroads of laundry hanging on the lines and horses grazing in the yards. We decided it was the perfect stop for our daily picnic.

More to come!

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Happy Anniversary To Us!

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by Spice Jones in Beautiful Things, Jones' Memories, Simple = Perfect, The Good Life, Weddings

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Tags

Americana, Family Traditions, My Amazing Husband, Southern Traditions, The Great Outdoors, Things I love

After 7 years of anniversary posts on all of the various blogs I’ve started and eventually neglected, I think everyone has heard the story of our wedding and seen our amazing pictures from Paul and Michelle Johnson (still the best pics I’ve ever seen) and learned every reason why a wedding planner working for one of the top wedding planning companies in Colorado opted to eloped to the beach instead of slimming down for her favorite Vera Wang to orchestrate an incredible mountain bash with live bluegrass, festival lights, signature cocktails and a succulent pig roasting on a spit with a shiny red apple in its mouth… I might be vegetarian but I still believe Southern hospitality is a must if the goal is to host a monumental celebration. So I’m sparing you the lovey dovey talk and simply posting a few links along with a photo collection that still says it all.

Still having a blast! Thanks for asking sweetie!

Still having a blast, sweetie, thanks so much for asking!

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My Latest Hiking Buddy

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by Spice Jones in Americana, Beautiful Things, Big City or Boulder?, The Great Outdoors, Today In Boulder

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Americana, Hiking, Random photos, That's so Boulder, The Great Outdoors, Things I love

Yesterday evening I returned home from my hike on Sanitas to find this photo on the  Boulder Daily Camera’s online evening update. This very camera has probably captured my own mug a bazillion times. I like triggering the flash in the late evening. If only my coat was as fluffy and full. I guess it’s true, the camera really does add ten claws -wa wa waaaa!

A photo of a mountain lion taken by a Boulder remote wildlife camera  on Mount Sanitas. (City of Boulder)

A photo of a mountain lion taken by a Boulder remote wildlife camera on Mount Sanitas. (City of Boulder)

Mt. Sanitas is a ten min walk from the house and a regular activity in my weekly routine. Twice during my history in Boulder I have learned that I was unknowingly in the presence of mountain lions while hiking on Sanitas (strange sentence structure but read it twice and I swear it will make sense). It’s a creepy feeling when someone comes down the path holding rocks and telling you to keep an eye out for a full grown male just spotted licking his chops. They can span 20′ in a single bound. No doubt I’m just as clobber-worthy as a young fawn or a Terrier on a leash… the second most popular snack in these parts.

No telling how many times I’ve been in close proximity to lions while on my daily routine around the house. In a typical Boulder year they’re spotted in and around town a handful of times; lounging on porches or resting in trees as they digest the latest outdoor pet. Once, when I was gardening late in the evening, I thought one was on the other side of the backyard fence. But when I moved to take a look whatever it was ran off in a large, padded foot, kind of way. I happen to be very familiar with the sounds of a skittish mule deer so the reasonable explanation was immediately ruled out and I figured it was time to call it a day.

Even though Boulder has seen its share of lion activity (via deer carcasses tucked under parked cars for safe keeping and attacks on pets and children-gulp!), I never wish the mountain lions gone. Their presence is a reminder of why we moved to Boulder in the first place. We love the Rocky Mountains and all that comes with the wild west. It’s a kooky place that enables us to live in the past, present and future without having to sacrifice our love of great restaurants and cheap matinees in the middle of the week.

While the wildlife camera was capturing the mountain lion at the top of the Sanitas Trail I was photo collaging the emerald shades along the Valley Trail – the portion of the hike I hit IMMEDIATELY AFTER climbing to the top…sorry for the caps but I just want to be sure you understand that this lion and I were within whiskers of each other.

An evening hike on Mt. Sanitas, fresh baked cookies and almond milk = a great night in BoulderThe fact that I was Facebooking a collage of my evening on Sanitas (with cookies and milk) at the exact time the cameras were capturing the lion reminds me of a sweatshirt my father would wear on our Girl Scout trips when we were little. It had a cartoon alligator picking its teeth while the remains of a green uniform -little skirt, little beanie, little badges, little green knee socks- were scattered around. The caption read, “The cookies aren’t bad either.”

Hunt on Mr. Lion. And if our paths cross in an ugly sorta way I promise to understand. Please enjoy the cookies too.

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Zippy And A Good Old Fashion Game Of Hot Snake

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by Spice Jones in The Great Outdoors, Todos Ranch, Urban Farming

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Tags

Adventures, Chris is rolling his eyes, Gardening, Good Chuckle, The Great Outdoors, Todos Ranch, Urban Farming

Meet Zippy,

Zippy The KittenZippy and I became friends back in 2010 when he wandered into the garden with a note on his collar that said “Zippy! I Wander! Please return me to my home”. He was a kitten so I abandoned common sense and actually carried (more like fought) little guy around the block and back to his own front yard.  Just as I got to his mailbox he jumped out of my arms, ran around to the back of the house and completely disappeared. I figured he was back in familiar territory so I turned and started my walk back home. Needless to say, after taking a good 20 min away from my chores to deliver him back to his home, I was less then delighted to find him back in my yard, waiting for me return from his.

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I’m Spice Jones,

a Southerner living in Boulder, Co. I write romance novels, I travel, I garden, I cook, and, when I can lure him close enough with sweet words and tuna, I torment the neighbor's cat.

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